APPENDIX. 309 



adhering firmly by tlie sucker, and undulating its body in the water, 

 as if to aid deglutition, occupied three hours in finishing its task, 

 when it appeared much distended by so cojtious a re])ast. Another 

 attempted to devour a dead leech of a different kind, absorbing the 

 smaller extremity here, as the former did with its living companion ; 

 but the latter proved too large for its gullet. Considering the 

 strength of the prey, indeed, and the adhesion, it appears a hardy 

 effort of leeches to devour each other, unless under great disparity 

 of size." — Dahjell. 



HiEMOPSIS (page 47). 



Intestine sacculated, the anterior ceeca small, the hindmost pair 

 highly developed. 



Hgemopsis sanguisuga (page 47). 



It is a vulgar belief that nine horse-leeches will suck a horse to 

 death, — a belief which seems to prevail over Northern Europe, &c. 



Leeches seem to be very plentiful in some parts of Ireland. The 

 Rev. James Hall, in his " Tour through Ireland," vol.i. p. 190(1813), 

 remarks of the Lake of Blarney, that it was so full of leeclies " that 

 if any person put in his foot, or his arm, it will soon be black with 

 them," &c. This, I suppose, is what the natives of Donegal call 

 " Loch leech." 



HIRUDO (page 48). 



" Je me suis assure que chacun des denticles qui herissent les ma- 

 choires des sangsues est une petite dent secrete'e par sa capsule spc- 

 ciale." — Quutrefages, Ann. des Sc. nat. viii. 36 (1847). 



Intestine sacculated with highly developed cseca. 



Hirudo mediciualis (page 48). 



The medicinal leech has much engaged the attention of naturalists. 

 Blainville has given an excellent summary of their researches, cor- 

 rected and extended by his personal observation, and to his essay we 

 would refer the student who wishes to know the structure and phy- 

 siology of this animal. — Bict. des Sc. nat. xlvii. 208-239. 



The medicinal leech lives in still and stagnant waters. It appears 

 to have been common, until the present century, in this country, 

 where it is now rare*. I have never seen it in our district, but I 

 have heard old people say that they could remember when it was 

 plentiful, and when a few infirm women and children, unfit for field 

 work, earned some gains by gathering them. This was done either 



* " Lacus et stagna Scotica hirudinibus olim superfluebant : nuperis autem 

 antiis pene destitiita sunt; idque e phiribus causis," &c. — Watson. Sir J. G. 

 Dalyell enumerates several habitats in Scotland where they arc still to be found. 



